1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a network relay apparatus used for relay in a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
A tremendous increase of the Internet traffic accompanied with the advance of ICT (information and communication technology) leads to a significant increase of power consumption required for a network relay apparatus (for example, a LAN switch or a router). The conventional design policy of the network relay apparatus focuses more on the improvement of processing performance rather than the reduction of power consumption.
From the standpoint of environmental protection, it is highly demanded as the recent trend to reduce the power consumption of the network relay apparatus.